The organization has been making efforts in enhancing the women participation in PRIs, women health, promoting women literacy and domestic violence. As a part of same, they have formed various community based groups like SHGs, federations and confederation at Panchayat level. Their capacity has been enhanced through training and exposure program. They have been aware on legal and women rights.

Livelihood-

In the operational area, the social excluded groups specially Muslim and SC community are not accessed to livelihood opportunities like PMRY, 100 days work in NREGA etc. available at govt. level. Moreover, they are also not access to receive the loan facilities provided through bank. Among these communities, the situation of women is worse. Economic exploitation of these communities is very common in areas. Tarun Chetna has made efforts in providing economic support in terms of small loan for initiating income generation activities. Their skill and knowledge have been enhanced through vocational training and exposure program. In addition, bank and govt. program linkages have made for social excluded groups

Education-

In this regard, the issues related to enhancing the enrolment of social excluded community children, reducing drop out and discrimination in schools, promotion of girl child education, scholarships and providing school dress and books as well regularize the teachers. We conducted various campaigns, awareness’ building program, advocacy both at schools and education department level and also interface meetings with education department representatives and community.

Health & Nutrition-

The women health issues related to ANC & PNC services, immunization, accessing to JSY, reducing maternal mortality rate has been dealing in the past. Tarun Chetna has been highlighting the issue of illegal sex determination in the Pratapgarh region. The issue concerned to accessing the supplementary food for social excluded community’s children was also dealt.

Experience and Understanding of the Organization on Issues of Social Exclusion

Key issues of social exclusion and discrimination existing in the work area:

Discrimination based on sex & caste in registration of targeted community in education and health programmes is prevalent like. The primary schools, located at PATTI block head quarter, are having maximum teachers belonging to Brahmin and Thakur community. On other hand, the area is mainly consisting of Muslim and SC community. Children of the excluded groups are made to sit in the separate rows. The children of the so called upper castes call the children by different caste and religious names like CHAMARWA, CHAMARGUDDI, KATUA MIYA, & MULLAH.

Lack of job opportunity for women in NREGA & extremely poor does not get full wages in NREGA programme. Case Reference: One woman namely Ganghdhari staying in Tardih village of THANIPUR GOPAPUR Panchayat of Patti block worked in pond construction work as a part of MNREGA. She did the full work but she was not paid full payment on payment day. She was rejected by saying that women work less in comparison of men.

Middle men involvement in getting more benefits of JANANI SURAKSHA YOJNA. In Manik pur town, lactating mother did not get JSY amount, but on the same name of lactating mother, the amount reimbursed two times within 03 months. In PATTI BLOCK level CHC, clerk suspended for taking commission. In this regard, the women group complained to SDM, PATTI block.

Mid-meal prepared by SCs are not eaten by children belong to higher caste. Mid meal are not prepared according to the MENU. Case: In KHAGALPUR and BELARAMPUR villages of KHAGALPUR Panchayat, children of Brahmin and Swarn community refused to eat mid day meal as it was prepared by SC woman. In some villages, both the targeted community and upper caste children are not sitting together for having mid-day meal. Such examples are more in Redigarapur village of Aaspur Devsara and Gulalpur village of Belkharnath block.

Lack of active participation of social excluded groups especially women in local govt. bodies. According to survey of lead CSO in PATTI and DEVSARA block, it was found that there were only two Muslim women representing as gram village Panchayat members out of total 78 members.

Lack of participation of social excluded groups in various committees like Education & Patient Welfare Committees as well as Parents committee. It was experienced that both the representatives of SC and Muslim community are not given the membership in committees like education, health, ROGI KALYAN SAMITI (Patient Welfare Committee), formed in all five tehsils of the district.

REPRESENTATION IN GOVT. COMMITTEES/PROGRAMMES:

After formation of SATHI forum in 2004, we have started to raise issues and supporting social excluded groups in accessing the services through network. In this regard, we have participated in various meetings and seminar at the district and state level in intensive manner. We voiced the rights of social excluded community and presented our success and achievement in said meetings. As a result of same, the efforts and experiences of our organisation have been recognised in form of providing opportunities in terms of memberships and sharing the responsibilities of highlighting the issues and working a larger level. The details are given below:

We have been given executive membership of District Education committee since 2003.

Chief functionary is the district coordinator for MNREGA, appointed by UPVAN network formed at state level.

Member of PCPNDT Advisory Committee formed at District level.

Under NRHM programme, we are executive member of ASHA MENTORING group.

We are also member of social audit team formed for handling the cases related to infant and maternal mortality.

Four staffs have selected as a part of trainer team for giving training to ASHA workers and chief functionary is Master Trainer of ASHA training.

Key achievements (if any) on addressing the issues of social exclusion and discrimination:

As mentioned earlier, issue related to social excluded group was main concern of the organisation. The efforts were made to make representation of Muslim and SC communities in Panchayats. Their collective efforts were ensured through formation of federation. Due to efforts, 17 Muslim women and five SC women were elected in six Panchayats of two blocks of Pratapgarh district. The local leaders of the respective community were identified for tackling the problems of the women community. The Muslim girls were motivated for literacy and literacy activities were conducted. Job cards were prepared and timely payments were ensured under the MNREGA programme.

In addition, women of excluded groups were organised in form of their groups like SHGs they have been strengthened through various training and exposure programme. Their participation in local self governance were increased and ensured through forming community based groups i.e. SHGs and federation. The women groups were linked with banks.

With efforts from its SHGs and women federations Tarun Chetna had built pressure on govt. health department to the negligence caused to the specific caste and community in the region. 68 women of CHAMAR of SC & JULAHA as well as JOGI of Muslim community received JANANI SURAKSHA benefits in six village Panchayats of Patti & Devsara blocks. In this regard, the women had not paid any money for getting benefits.

During 2008, one NREGA worker namely Kaluram who was native of Aaspur Devsara village was fainted during the digging work of pond under NREGA. The laborers informed the Kaluram families about the incidences. In between, village pradhan and village Panchayat development officer visited the site and brought Kaluram to home. At home, Kaluram died. Due to pressure of villagers, Pradhan wrote the complaint that Kaluram died during pond work. This information was given to BDO and Panchayat development officer. BDO suggested arranging funeral as early as possible. Based on information given TARUN CHETANA, the Kaluram families demanded the compensation. But on other hand, both the BDO and Development refused to give compensation because they told that Kaluram was died at home not because of work at pond. In this condition, organization collected written complaint and applied for RTI under MNREGA Act and advocating the issue of getting the compensation. During same time, a situation and problem of Kaluram families shared during one of PACS programme in Lucknow. The workshop was attended by Commissioner of Village Development and heard whole incidence. He took immediate decision to give compensation to Kaluram family. As result his family received compensation of Rs. 25,000 which was first time compensation for death of Rs. 25,000.00 in January 2008. This was first time in U.P

Organization’s strength/ capacity to implement the proposed project

Presence of skilled and experienced human resources

We have the total strength of 27 staffs. Out of which, 25 are qualified and skilled. As part of organization strategy, we have always encouraged women as a part of our team. Our team is included of mainly people having the background of social excluded groups. The chief functionary of the organization is recognized as trainer on health, Panchayat and NREAGA aspects. In addition, our four team members are also considered as trainer for giving training to ASHA workers. Majority of team members are long years of experiences to handle issues of social excluded groups.

Presence in the area proposed and office set up:

Currently, we have our program intervention in two blocks of proposed target area. We have executed the program related to legal literacy for women, income generation program, and formation of CBOs like SHGs and youth groups, domestic violence and ensuring 100 days work under NREGA program. We could develop linkages with legal literacy cell formed at district level and bank. We could also develop good rapport with Panchayats Due to our efforts, women representing social excluded groups were able to get post of sarpanch and ward members. We are running six women literacy centers for Muslim and SC community. In two villages Panchayat, we are also running two village resource centers which mainly used for delivering IEC materials related to NREGA, NRHM and PRIs. In addition, we are leading the network namely SATHI, of 12 NGOs.